Leicester chief fined for lying about EMTs' training

Friday

Mar 14, 2014 at 6:00 AMMar 14, 2014 at 8:38 AM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

LEICESTER — The State Ethics Commission fined Leicester Emergency Medical Services Department Executive Director Robert Wilson, who is the town fire chief, and training instructor Karen Durant for violations of the conflict-of-interest law.

Chief Wilson and Ms. Durant falsely claimed that emergency medical technicians who they are in charge of training completed a required 24-hour recertification training course, the commission said in a statement Thursday.

The pair admitted to violating the conflict-of-interest law, the commission said, when they submitted false records that claimed 12 EMTs, including themselves, had attended the minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction when they had not. Both Chief Wilson, who is also the Leicester fire chief, and Ms. Durant agreed to pay civil penalties of $2,000, the commission said.

"It was five years ago and there have been no other incidents," he said.

Mr. Mizikar, who took the post in Leicester last year, said he is not sure whether Chief Wilson and Ms. Durant conducted those trainings.

Chief Wilson did not immediately return calls for comment.

Massachusetts law requires EMTs to renew their certification every two years. The recertification course must include at least 24 hours of classroom instruction. Leicester EMS received state approval for a training program over three days in September 2008, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, to be led by Ms. Durant as program coordinator and instructor. Chief Wilson, as EMS executive director, was ultimately responsible for ensuring that all EMTs had received the proper training.

In October 2008, the state Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Emergency Medical Services received information suggesting that the EMTs who participated in the course did not complete 24 hours of classroom instruction, the commission said.

OEMS investigated and determined that the second day of instruction was held for no more than four hours and the third day did not take place at all, according to the commission.

Ms. Durant told OEMS that she believed all the required material had been covered during the shortened classroom sessions, though she signed off on all the attendance sheets that indicated the EMTs had attended the full 24 hours, the commission said. Moreover, Ms. Durant sent two emails to the course attendees regarding the OEMS investigation, in which she asked them to falsely corroborate that her course included 24 hours of classroom instruction, the commission said.

Following its investigation, OEMS revoked Ms. Durant's EMT certification for three months beginning May 2, 2009, according to the commission. The town of Leicester suspended Ms. Durant during the same period, part of which she went without pay. OEMS also issued letters of reprimand to all 12 EMTs involved and ordered them to re-take the certification refresher training, according to the commission. Additionally, OEMS cited Leicester EMS for failing to meet standards for recertification of its staff.

Ms. Durant and Chief Wilson each paid the maximum $2,000 civil penalty for violations of the conflict of interest law occurring prior to September 2009, when the Ethics Reform Law became effective. The Ethics Commission can now impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 for a violation of most sections of the conflict of interest law, including section 23, for conduct occurring after September 2009.

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG